Stadiums of K League 2, ranked! | OneFootball

Having finally completed K League 2*, I thought now would be a great opportunity to rank the stadiums of Korea's second tier. These rankings are based on what I feel a groundhopper visiting a stadium for the first time would look for. They're not a reflection on the clubs; just the size of the stadium, the location, does it have a track, and what are the post-game entertainment options.

*Primarily missing from the list is Asiad Stadium, Busan IPark's designated home. Also, the Olympic Stadium where Seoul E-Land have once played and will return to. There's Suwon's temporary home in Yongin, and the various grounds Gyeongnam FC have sporadically used.

This is the criteria I will apply, with each section weighted differently. I'm sure every reader could rewrite this another way, but I've chosen these categories and determined the value based on my own personal experience. It is entirely arbitrary; classification is pasted from my unwrittenGroundhopper Guidebook, available at all good imaginary bookstores.

One final reminder, this does not reflect the club itself. In fact, I've watched #13 several times this year and really enjoyed the matchday experience. With my journo's hat on, the club is unbelievably welcoming and hospitable. But from the point of view of a groundhopper, it loses marks on things outside the control of the club.

This is just one guy's opinion. I did not make it in collaboration with the other writers, although that seems like a fun winter project. So, please, go easy on me if you disagree with a little, some, or all of my rankings.

Aesthetics: does the stadium look nice, inside and out. 10 points

Atmosphere: what's the regular match day atmosphere like. 10 points

Fit for purpose: is it too big (no stadium is too small), affecting the first two categories. 15 points

Facilities: Are there enough stores to buy food and drink, what is the pricing like, and are the lines long. 15 points.

Layout: does it have a running track, temporary seating, roof cover, and a nice view. 20 points.

Accessibility: Is it close to subways, a KTX stadium, rivers, or buses. 20 points.

Entertainment: What's the immediate area like for post-game beers and food. 5 points.

PS; I haven't included merchandise because every club has a limited supply of overpriced gear.

[READ: K League is a beautiful community. Here's why!]

13= Seoul Mokdong Stadium: Seoul E-Land

Aesthetics: 5 points.

Atmosphere: 5 points.

Fit for purpose: 7 points.

Facilities: 7 points.

Layout: 13 points.

Accessibility: 18 points.

Entertainment: 4 points.

Total: 60 points.

The sun sets over Mokdong Stadium and the local skyline. All photos from my personal IG page @groundhopkoreafc

Seoul E-Land is the club I mentioned above. I love cycling my bike down the Anyang-cheon to watch midweek games in Mokdong. And I was there for two of their biggest nights out; Suwon Bluewings and FC Seoul in the Cup. The view of Yeoido and the Mokdong skyline is spectacular and the club/local council earns a couple of extra points for the rebranding inside and outside.

Mokdong, however, isn't a good football stadium. It isn't a football stadium. The running track is a nuisance, especially with no temporary seating. Because of the stadium's wide footprint, the atmosphere doesn't carry across the stadium and the cheerleaders really too heavily on teaching fans the lyrics to songs on the big screen.

Not much to photograph of Gudeok, but the floodlights are lovely.

To my shame, I've yet to make it to Asiad so Gudeok will have to slot in for the purposes of this article. I absolutely loved the backdrop, especially from the away end. Enormous apartment blocks tower over the stadium and they are dwarfed by spectacular mountains. The stadium is old so it deserves some respect and the mosaics on the walls outside are cool.

The atmosphere was terrible when I went. The Pride of Pusan is too far away from the rest of the stadium. Gudeok is another ground with a track and no temporary seating. It benefits greatly from its locality and what's on offer around. In strictly stadium terms, this is the worst in the league.

A familiar sight in Wa~. Rows and rows of empty seats.

I've always had a soft spot for Wa~ Stadium. It looks like an international football stadium, a smaller version of Gwangju's World Cup Stadium. Countries around the world would love a Wa~ in their capital. This stadium also benefits greatly from its location, but I think they are important to enjoying a day out at a new stadium.

Obviously, Wa~ is far too big for Ansan Greeners. There's a running track with no temporary seating and even though there's a roof, the lower bowls are too exposed for the roof to have any great impact. Ansan, more than any club, needs a football-specific 5,000-seater. Playing at Wa~ must be soul-destroying.

11= Yi Sun-sin: Chungnam Asan

Aesthetics: 7 points.

Atmosphere: 5 points.

Fit for purpose: 10 points.

Facilities: 8 points.

Layout: 13 points.

Accessibility: 15 points.

Entertainment: 3 points.

Total: 61 points.

Love the miniature pitch outside the main entrance to Yi Sun-sin.

Yi Sun-sin is a 40-minute walk from the local subway station. To some, that might seem like a lot but it is ideal for a groundhopper. You get to experience the local community on your way to the ground. I also appreciate how fans aren't dumped behind the goals. It is a unique feature that the away fans and main home supporters' groups share the same grandstand.

But the club and stadium are so far out of the way that unless you can get a weekend with Cheonan or Cheonju, it isn't really worth it. Yi Sun-sin is a nice stadium but like many of its contemporaries here, there is a running track with no temporary seating and almost no roof cover. It is the classic K League 2 stadium.

9. Cheongju Stadium: Chungbuk Cheongju

Aesthetics: 8 points.

Atmosphere: 8 points.

Fit for purpose: 11 points.

Facilities: 9 points.

Layout: 17 points.

Accessibility: 8 points.

Entertainment: 2 points.

Total: 63 points.

I doubt too many clubs have a fake national team jersey draped over the big screen.

Before writing this article, and settling on the format, I worried Cheongju would be in last spot. Cheongju is a great club, with a good fanbase and really helpful media staff. The atmosphere is fantastic and there's even some roof coverage opposite the main stand, a rarity in K League 2. The exterior walls are nicely decorated, too.

Again. Cheonju has a running track without temporary seating. The city is also far too small for a subway line and the local KTX station is nowhere near downtown. It is the least accessible stadium in the league, so they have to make up for that with a good match-day experience.

Sorry to say, the only good photograph of the Cheonan Stadium was of the away end.

This is the last ground to feature a running track and no temporary seating. Cheonan City is a bustling place and the club is near the main KTX station and several subway stops. Otherwise, it is copy and paste from above.

Bucheon Stadium is a great place to explore. There's lots of space to wander and you'll uncover some form of historical artpiece.

Bucheon relies heavily on two aspects to keep it well clear of the bottom slot. The local subway station, Bucheon Stadium, is 100 meters away and they have two temporary stands minimizing the impact of the track. Any stadium that does so will automatically feature higher than those that don't. That's how bad the track is. Also, if you walk around the inside of the original structure, there are some plaques dedicated to Bucheon's history.

Unfortunately, the original stadium structure is far too big. They'd be better off taking the two temporary stands out to a local park and playing the games there. The away fans have a terrible view behind the goals but ironically, they have the best shelter from the rain or sun, because of the roof. I like Bucheon Stadium. In another era, this ground might be a great place to watch football.

6. Anyang Stadium: FC Anyang

Aesthetics: 3 points.

Atmosphere: 9 points.

Fit for purpose: 12 points.

Facilities: 8 points.

Layout: 18 points.

Accessibility: 15 points.

Entertainment: 3 points.

Total: 68 points.

Anyang uses temporary stands to create one of the league's atmospheres, and then they decorate those stands with messages like this.

The atmosphere in Anyang is, potentially, the best in the league. A major reason for that (aside from their chanting and flags) is the city (or club) has constructed three temporary stands pitchside. Only the away fans are stuck in the original structure; although when they get a big crowd, they have to open up general admission to home supporters too.

There is pretty much no roof coverage, anywhere. Even the media seats are not occupied during monsoon season. Anyang Stadium is ugly but with plans to move into a new football-specific ground in the coming years, expect the club to shoot up these rankings.

5. Solteo Stadium: Gimpo FC

Aesthetics:  8 points.

Atmosphere:  8 points.

Fit for purpose: 14 points.

Facilities: 10 points.

Layout: 18 points.

Accessibility: 12 points.

Entertainment: 2 points.

Total: 72 points.

Solteo takes a pounding from the July monsoon before their FA Cup quarter-final clash with Jeju United.

When you talk to people from the club, they tell you how proud they are of their little Solteo. The ground looks dingy but it has three sides overlooking the pitch and recent construction has increased the capacity. There's a great atmosphere for this reason and with the club thriving, there should be more big days ahead.

Despite being close to a station, Gimpo FC is really far away from everywhere. It isn't easy to reach from Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, or the rest of Korea. Also, when they increased the capacity, they maybe should have looked at a roof. I like the unused area behind one of the goals, but wish they made something of it, like giant advertisement boards (Rayo Vallecano). Instead, it is a giant green net full of spiders.

4. Tancheon Stadium: Seongnam FC

Aesthetics: 5 points.

Atmosphere: 3 points.

Fit for purpose: 10 points.

Facilities: 12 points.

Layout: 18 points.

Accessibility: 20 points.

Entertainment: 5 points.

Total: 73 points.

Tancheon Way is more famous than Wembley Way.

I don't think this will be a popular choice but I have a lot of admiration for Tancheon. Like some of the other grounds, it benefits greatly from the local surroundings; Yatap Station is a short walk, and the area is buzzing every night of the week. The Tancheon River flows beside the stadium, which is great for walking or cycling. The main stand has exceptional views of Seoul, the mountains, and Seongnam City. It looks like a second-tier Spanish stand. Add in the honors display on the wall, and this isn't a bad ground.

Tancheon isn't pretty. Had it been a rectangular-shaped stadium with one huge stand, it would have looked much better. There's only one temporary stand but it does feature the rising Magpie. I understand the detractors but I've always enjoyed watching a game here.

3. Gwangyang Football Stadium: Jeonnam Dragons

Aesthetics: 9 points.

Atmosphere: 7 points.

Fit for purpose: 13 points.

Facilities: 10 points.

Layout: 21 points.

Accessibility: 12 points.

Entertainment: 2 points.

Total: 74 points.

Club officials love Gwangyang, and so do I.

Having just returned from Gwangyang, I can't speak highly enough of the stadium. They've done a remarkable job with the interior. The yellow and black seats are beautiful and I like the undulating stands. The away end is as good as it gets, and being football-specific, the distance between the pitch and the front row is only around 5 meters. The walk from central Gwangyang to the stadium is pleasant.

However, Gwangyang is nowhere near the main train station. It isn't worth traveling by train. You should arrive by bus from Gwangju or Suncheon. The lack of roof cover (a common problem) is a concern but otherwise, this is a very fine stadium. Had they built it next to City Hall, it would be top of the list.

2. Changwon Football Centre: Gyeongnam FC

Aesthetics: 10 points.

Atmosphere: 8 points.

Fit for purpose: 12 points.

Facilities: 10 points.

Layout: 20 points.

Accessibility: 12 points.

Entertainment: 3 points.

Total: 75 points.

I took over 100 photos of Changwon Football Centre when I went. It is a marvelous stadium.

Love this one! Same as Gwangyang, the location isn't ideal. Had this been built next to NC Dinos Park, it would have been truly amazing. Another football-specific ground with recent K League 1 experience. Fans are right on top of the pitch. Another neat feature is the sunken field. When you enter the stadium, you're basically walking around the top of the stands, so you're looking down on the pitch.

The only negative is the trip to the stadium. A better location sees this roaring into the 90+ points category.

1. Suwon World Cup Stadium: Suwon Samsung

Aesthetics: 8 points.

Atmosphere: 8 points.

Fit for purpose: 8 points.

Facilities: 13 points.

Layout: 23 points.

Accessibility: 17 points.

Entertainment: 3 points.

Total: 80 points.

Even Suwon FC acknowledged this is a K League 1 ground.

Perhaps a sense of bias here but let's be honest; Big Bird is a K League 1 category stadium. It was built to host knockout games at a FIFA World Cup and still regularly hosts both the men's and women's international teams. It has an aura and one of the best atmospheres anywhere in Korea. It looks nice and sounds great, and the sheer volume of space around the stadium makes it a great meeting point.

The stadium is too big for Suwon Samsung Bluewings now. The upper tiers are tarped off for most games and their highest gate of the season is 14,400. But given its importance to the KFA, it is unlikely they'll ever shave off the upper tiers. If they did.......it would be a 90+ pointer.